The Sounds of Sundazed

Sundazed and Modern Harmonic proudly present original albums, expanded editions, unique compilations and more on vinyl and CD! Our catalog is bulging with both classic AND overlooked blasts from the 60s & 70s: a universe filled with the sounds of garage, pop, soul, surf, psych, country, and much more!

LISTEN to Bob Irwin and Gina Frary Bacon of Sundazed/Modern Harmonic every MONDAY NIGHT on WFMU's Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban! Stomp to the sweaty jukebox snap of our fave 60s cellar-dwellers, Sunset-trippers, fuzzbox high-flyers, & much more! New shows every Monday at 8pm / 7c! Get in the live chat with them for boss platter-banter!!!

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

In most instances, the tag "revolutionary" tends to be affixed far too casually before the name of an artist. But in the case of Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, the appellation is more than warranted. A truly visionary savant, Beefheart exploded on the mid-'60s underground scene with his own wildly eccentric, mutant concoction of deep blues, free jazz, contemporary avant-garde, and psychedelic rock - a disjointed sound that crosses the swamp and the desert with the complex, skyscraping urban landscape. Although Beefheart disbanded his Magic Band when he retired from music in 1982 to concentrate on his similarly unique visual art, the Captain's influence on subsequent legions of forward-thinking artists remains immeasurable.

EXTREMELY LIMITED QUANTITIES! "Where's the Beefheart?!," intrepid record collectors have often asked. Despite being one of the most influential artists of the rock era, Captain Beefheart's vinyl catalog is often exasperatingly elusive. One of the rarest of them all is the "Abba Zaba/Yellow Brick Road" single, issued by Buddha Records in December 1967. An early blueprint of Beefheart's singular musical construction, it has long been a "holy grail" for 45 RPM enthusiasts around the world. With...

On colored vinyl!"Where's the Beefheart?!," intrepid record collectors have often asked. Despite being one of the most influential artists of the rock era, Captain Beefheart's vinyl catalog is often exasperatingly elusive. One of the rarest of them all is the "Abba Zaba/Yellow Brick Road" single, issued by Buddha Records in December 1967. An early blueprint of Beefheart's singular musical construction, it has long been a "holy grail" for 45 RPM enthusiasts around the world. ...

Double 7" set! In the high desert of California, they were referred to simply as "Beefheart." Don Van Vliet acquired the habit of singing along to vintage blues records while hanging with high school chum Frank Zappa. Founder Alex Snouffer formed the Magic Band in late 1964. And, by early 1965, the powerful and charismatic local blues combo had made quite a name for itself locally as "the band" for local dances at the fairgrounds. By late '65 the inclusion of master guitarist Rich Hepner...

One of the most exciting aspects of reintroducing so much rare and incredible music to the world is being able to finally make available material that’s been in label-vault limbo since the day it was recorded, vital sounds locked away from the deserving ears of the legions of devoted music fans we at Sundazed count ourselves among. But when we’re able to present previously shelved material by one of the most visionary and influential artists of all time, in exceptional fidelity,...

"Too negative." That was reportedly A&M jefe Jerry Moss' reaction to the demos presented to him by Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, as Van Vliet and his Magic Band prepared to record their fourth album. Moss dropped the band from the label, leaving them to seek another outlet for their uncompromising music. They landed at Buddah Records, soon to be riding high on a series of bubblegum singles, culminating in the Lemon Pipers' #1 hit, "Green Tambourine." Led by young music executive Neil...

In an attempt to capitalize on the critical acclaim for the band's prior album Trout Mask Replica, Buddah issued a promo single of "Plastic Factory" b/w "Where There's Woman." The A-side found the Captain's voice and harmonica battling for supremacy with Ry Cooder's stinging guitar licks. The B-side, meanwhile, follows him through tempo and time signature changes as he sings his opaque version of a love song. This promo single is so rare that most Beefheart fans have never seen it, let alone...

Mono Edition! Captain Beefheart's 1967 debut album Safe As Milk introduced the world to a one-of-a-kind visionary whose unique output had no precedent in contemporary music. Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet, filtered the raw influence of the blues and R&B through his own singular musical sensibility and left-field lyrical wordplay, and surrounded himself with some of the most talented and inventive young musicians around. The result was an album that, even in the heady year in which it was...

Mono Edition Pressed at RTI! Captain Beefheart's 1967 debut album Safe As Milk introduced the world to a one-of-a-kind visionary whose unique output had no precedent in contemporary music. Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet, filtered the raw influence of the blues and R&B through his own singular musical sensibility and left-field lyrical wordplay, and surrounded himself with some of the most talented and inventive young musicians around. The result was an album that, even in the heady year in which...

Mono Edition Pressed at RTI! Captain Beefheart's 1967 debut album Safe As Milk introduced the world to a one-of-a-kind visionary whose unique output had no precedent in contemporary music. Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet, filtered the raw influence of the blues and R&B through his own singular musical sensibility and left-field lyrical wordplay, and surrounded himself with some of the most talented and inventive young musicians around. The result was an album that, even in the heady year in which...

Being recognized as a musical pioneer is great in retrospect, but it can be an arduous journey getting there. In 1974, as Captain Beefheart recorded his eighth album, Unconditionally Guaranteed, he was eager to reach a wider audience while regaining the critical acclaim of his earlier work. To these ends, he pushed the Magic Band relentlessly during the album sessions, so much so that the band quit en masse after the album was finished. Upon its release, the LP did not achieve the commercial...

On colored vinyl!In 1974, as Captain Beefheart recorded his eighth album, Unconditionally Guaranteed, he was eager to reach a wider audience while regaining the critical acclaim of his earlier work. Listening to album's lead single, "Upon The My-O-My" b/w "I Got Love On My Mind," it's hard to believe anyone found this effort lacking. True, the music may be a bit more polished around the edges, but the Captain's commanding voice rules over all. Long out of print, Sundazed resurrects this...